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GRAPE GRO WING "We need to grow to become viable. However, financing that growth is a huge challenge." "We think we need about 60 acres to break even and 100 acres to make any money in grapegrowing." grapes at this price point is to get big. Therefore, for the wine industry to be sustainable (to be able to provide wine for the bulk of consumers that drink it), it is necessary for some growers to be- come big. In the end, I do not think it is useful or moves us forward as an industry to ar- gue that small is more sustainable than big. The reality is that winegrape grow- "Being small makes selling to large wineries difficult." "As a stand-alone vineyard, our 2-acre vineyard would not be very sustainable. But as the base for our winery, it does very well." ers are spread all along the sustainability continuum, with some small and big growers falling toward the less sustain- able end and some small and big growers being on the more sustainable end and the rest scattered in between. As I have said many times before, the goal for ev- eryone should be to move along that sus- tainable continuum, continually improv- ing over time. "We will try to keep 50% of our land out of grapes to insure against total disaster." "It's not large enough to be profitable, yet too big for one or two people to work." Dr. Cliff Ohmart serves as vice president Agfast_WireVise_Jan08 12/13/07 12:34 PM of professional services for SureHarvest. He is the author of "View from the Vineyard: A practical guide to sustainable winegrape growing," published by the Wine Apprecia- tion Guild. Previously he served as research/ IPM director at the Lodi-Woodbridge Wine- grape Commission. He has been writing about sustainable winegrowing issues for Wines & Vines since 1998. Embossed jaws grip the wire as it is inserted and prevent it from being pulled out. The wire is retensionable with a pair of pliers or a claw hammer. Trellis & Fence Wire Anchor WIREVISE® YOUR CHEMICAL DISTRIBUTOR OF CHOICE acidulants, alkalis, clarifying agents, vitiben, yeast, Broken or sheared ends of a wire are slipped into either end of the WireLink to make a secure splice. Requires no tools. Both WireVise and WireLink are available for wire from 9-13 gauge. Tool-free Trellis & Fence Wire Splicer WIRELINK® For your nearest dealer, contact: RICHMOND, CALIFORNIA 877/229-6305 Fax: 510/235-4182 Toll-Free: 877.552-4828 909.451.2299 • Fax: 909.593-8309 QSEE US AT UNIFIED, BOOTH #805 FRESNO, CALIFORNIA 559/485-4150 Fax: 559/485-0605 QSEE US AT UNIFIED, BOOTH #1320 Wines & Vines JAnUARY 2012 149 and other food grade and cleaning chemicals